Insomnia trouble sleeping

Melatonin levels increase from evening to night and then decrease as morning approaches. People with high levels of melatonin sleep longer and more soundly than those with low levels. The concentration of the hormone in the blood varies with age—6-year-olds have more than five times the concentration that 80-year-olds have—which is one of the reasons why young people have less trouble sleeping than older people. Melatonin supplements are used to treat insomnia, jet lag, and seasonal affective disorder. 

Keep a sleep log. Of course you don t need to keep a log if you re not having trouble sleeping. But if you suffer from insomnia, note your bedtime, wake-up time, what you do before bed each evening, what you eat each night, and how well rested you feel the following day. Then look... 

Consider acupuncture. Many people who have trouble sleeping report good results for insomnia. 

Insomnia is characterized as being primary where there is no obvious medical or psychiatric cause. It is a common clinical problan wherein 10-20% of people have chronic insomnia, characterized by trouble sleeping more than three nights a week. It has been directly linked to numerous impacts on individuals such as daytime fatigue, inattention, irritability, poor mood, and reduced energy levels. Consequently, they have reduced productivity, higher woik absenteeism, and an increased risk of depression or substance abuse. There is also a greater risk of traffic and woik-related accidents. Furthermore, studies have shown direct links between circadian rhythm disturbance and an increased risk in health problems, such as diabetes, metabolic disorders and depression. Insomnia is considered secondary if it is caused by external factors such as health conditions, for example, cancer, heart problems, depression, asthma, arthritis, or pain, or as a side effect of medication, or a substance, such as alcohol. 

The elderly have even more trouble with insomnia. In a given year, about half of those over 65 years of age will experience a period of insomnia. Although normal aging causes the elderly to sleep less soundly and leaves them vulnerable to insom-... 

This newest non-BZD hypnotic is a pyrazolopyrimidine derivative with a fuii agonist activity on centrai BZD receptors B2 type. It is an effective hypnotic for the short-term treatment of insomnia. Because of its very short half-life (almost an hour), it may be useful for patients experiencing difficulty falling asleep and in those who wake up at night and who have trouble falling back to sleep. Zaleplon is rapidly absorbed after oral administration and its mean, apparent elimination half-life is similar to that obtained after i.v. infusion. Zaleplon is extensively metabolized in the liver by aldehyde oxidase, and to a lesser extent by CYP3A4. This drug is excreted in the urine (156). 

Many people became dependent on barbiturates even though the drugs were used only under medical supervision. Suppose someone is in crisis—say, after the death of a spouse or other loved one. A physician may prescribe a sleeping pill to help the person rest during the crisis. After a tew weeks the patient may feel emotionally ready to sleep without the drug—and indeed may be. But the first night he or she attempts to sleep without the barbiturate, the person may have a great deal of trouble because one of the features of barbiturate withdrawal is rebound insomnia (Mendelson, 1980). That is, after the chronic use of barbiturates, abstinence produces insomnia even in someone who was untroubled with insomnia previously. 

Use naps properly. Naps are usually a healthy and stress-relieving practice. But if you have insomnia, avoid naps until you can sleep through the night—no matter how tired you get. If you re not concerned about insomnia, stick to twenty- to forty-five-minute naps in the middle of the day. If your bedtime is 11 p.m., for instance, you should restrict naps to the time between noon and 3 p.m., or you might have trouble falling asleep. 

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